Stone-loading wagon



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHANIEL DRAKE, OF NE'YTON, NEW' JERSEY.

STONE-LOADING WAGON.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 26,482, dated December 20, 1859.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, N A'rI-IANIEL DRAKE, of Newton, in the county of Sussex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Vehicle for Lifting and Conveying Stones; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a plan or top view of my invention. Fig. 2, a side sectional view of ditto, taken in the line ai, m, of Fig. 1. Fig. a detached plan view of one of the pawls pertaining to ditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The object of the invention is to obtain a device that will facilitate the clearing of land from stones, those of large dimensions that cannot be lifted by hand.

The invention consists in a peculiar arrangement of windlasses pla-ced on a frame mounted on wheels, and provided with pawls devised in a novel way, the whole operating as hereinafter described, to effect the desired end.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents a rectangular horizontal frame which is mounted on wheels B, and has a draft. pole C, attached to one. end. At the back end of the frame A, a shaft D, is placed. This shaft is allowed to turn freely in its bearings, and it has a ratchet E, permanently secured on it. On each end of the shaft D, a drum F. is placed loosely and allowed to turn freely, each drum having a ratchet G, on it into which drums, holding pawls H, catch when necessary, said pawls being attached to the inner sides of the side* pieces of the frame A. The ratchet E, of the shaft D, has a pawl I, which catches into it when necessary, said pawl being attached to a traverse bar a, of the frame A. The shaft- D, as well as the drums F, F. have holes made in them to receive a hand-spike or lever for the purpose of turning them, and said shaft and drums have each a chain G. attached.

The pawl I. that engages with the ratchet E, is attached by a joint 7), to a plate J, the latter being attached by a joint C, to the traverse bar a., sec moreparticularly Figs.

2 and 3. The inner end of the pawl I, when engaged with the ratchet E, rests on a small lever b', the fulcrum of which is on the bar a, and the outer end of lever b, has a lever c, connected to it as shown in Fig. 3. It is designed to have the pawls H, I-I, arranged precisely similar to the pawl I.

On the frame A, a traverse bar K, is placed and secured thereto at each end by a pin or bolt d, which may be fitted in either of a series of holes e, to admit of the position of the bar being varied, and be nearer the front or back axles as may be required. This bar K, has pulleys L, attached to it over which one or more of the chains G, may pass.

The device is used as follows: The team is attached to the vehicle and drawn over a stone to be raised and if it is desired to suspend the stone at the back end of the vehicle the chain G', of shaft D, is attached to the stone and said chain wound upon the shaft until the stone is pro )erly elevated, the pawl I, retaining the sha t D. In order to have the weight of the load properly distributed stones are attached to one or more of the chains G', that pass over the pulleys L, said stones being elevated by turning the drums F. In consequence of having chains pass over the pulleys L, on the bar K, the weight of the stones raised over the pulleys L, are made to centerpoise in a measure, the stone raised on the shaft D, and the deficiency may be made up by placing small stones on the front part of the frame A. The weight of the load therefore may always be equally distributed over the two axles. If only a single large stone is to be drawn, the bar K, may be adjusted centrally on the frame in order to distribute the weight equally on the two axles. By having the drums F F, placed loosely on the shaft D, and used in connection with the adjustable. bar K, a very compact arrangement of windlasses for the desired purpose is obtained. A very essential feature however of the invention is the pawl arrangement as shown in pawl I. If the ordinary pawls were used it would be extremely difcult to disengage them from the ratchets to lower the stones without applying the hand spikes to the windlasses and easing the pressure exerted against them.

By the arrangement as shown applied to pawl I, it will be seen that by actuating lever c the lever b may be made to throw up the joint b, and the pressure exerted against the pawl will throw it back so that the ratchet will be relieved from it. It will be understood that the joint b when the pawl I, is engaged with the ratchet E, is below the line of pressure exerted against the pawl and consequently the pawl is retained or held in proper position with its ratchet. When however the joint b, is thrown up above the line of pressure, the pawl instantly recedes under the action or pressure of the ratchet.

I do not claim broadly the placing of drums loosely on a shaft in order to form a plurality of independent windlasses on one shaft, for similar devices have been used for lsjhip windlasses and analogous purposes;

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The employment or use of the shaft D, with one or more drums G, placed loosely on it, the shaft and drums being provided with ratchets, in combination with the pawls I, and the adjustable bar K, provided with pulleys L; the whole being applied to a mounted frame and arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

N. DRAKE.

Witnesses:

I. SHINER, A. SHINER. 

